More links that moved me lately

Hello and welcome to a second experiment in linkblogging; like the first, this one is also a roundup. Life has been a bit difficult of late (some self-inflicted, some not), so I’m working to be kind to myself. I hope you are too.

A Trip to 90s Kansai: Exploring the XD FirstClass Network BBS by Misty De Méo

I think this might be one of Misty’s best blog posts ever, and I’m only slightly biased - this one is a delve into a rare snapshot of a moment in time of BBS culture from the early 90s in Japan. Go find the easter egg I suggested! :)

New Technology: Whose Progress? (1981) by Education Media, with the assistance of British Film Institute

I’ve been reflecting on this one a lot. I happened to catch it on The Old Timey Computer Show a while back. Technology has always been built at the whim of the rich and powerful and the rest of us don’t tend to get a say. We should fix that.

Responsibility is the Human Moat by James Bach

A much better-worded version of a concept that’s been bobbing around in my head for some time. My drafts are full of versions of this that I’ve left on the cutting room floor. Anyway, from James’ post:

AI cannot behave responsibly. Only natural persons can.

In a vital sense, humans have a “moat” about them, with respect to human society, that no AI can cross. AI can pretend to be a part of society, it can interact with human society, but it cannot actually be a part of society.

Sounds oddly familiar! James goes on to list real, tangible problems of this technology, which it seems we are being asked to ignore in favour of the “what if” of it becoming better than it is now.

I strongly believe that LLMs in their current and anticipated forms represent a major workplace and social hazard that we are not treating with anywhere near the gravity it deserves. At this point I can only really hope we’re at a turning point.

i’m not mad, i’m just disappointed by ian walker

An excellent article discussing what rubs the author (and, frankly myself) finds troubling about the framing of indie games journalism darling aftermath’s coverage of the high-profile boycott, divest, and sanction targetted game release from Microsoft’s troubled Xbox division.

Microsoft are actively abetting what experts are calling a genocide, and I think we need to have a real discussion about what that means for consumption of their products, particularly at a time when fascism and its outcomes are so plain to see in the world.

I gave aftermath a yearly subscription after reading Jackson Ryan’s story on the creep of gambling into games media and related websites; some actual, solid journalism. I have withdrawn said subscription because frankly I think they should want to do better in the world than to launder their feelings about a tired game series that doesn’t need any advertising.

The Clowns and Criminals of Titanium Court by Patrick Klepek

A wonderful exploration of one of the most engaging games I’ve played in recent memory; Titanium Court is an absolute masterpiece, and I think everyone should play it. I don’t think I’ve ever felt quite so in communication with a game designer. Go play it, then read this.

also available wherever you get podcasts

Do I belong in tech anymore? On quitting, the spread of AI, and the loss of an ideal. by Ky Decker

It wasn’t a bad job, not by most metrics. It ticked the boxes a job is supposed to tick: good pay. Health insurance. Remote work. Time off. Nice coworkers. […] I was doing good work. And yet, work was rendering me increasingly miserable. I questioned myself. Why am I here? Does any of this work actually matter? And if I stop caring about the quality of my work… will anyone notice? (An uncomfortable thought.)

Honourable Mentions

Cool Tools

  • Hister
    What if your browsing history was more useful? Hister is a self-hosted service and a companion browser extension that indexes and allows full-text search of pages you’ve visited. Like if Windows Recall was built humanely. I’ve had some trouble with the browser extension’s reliability, but it has a lot of potential - I’ve wanted something like this forever.
  • eightyeightthirtyone

    crawls the links between 88x31s on the Internet, which are small badges on websites that link to other websites

This is part of me approaching blogging with an eye to making the ephemeral stories I read feel more a part of an ongoing record. Written, as always, with my own two paws. Please feel free to contact me with any feedback or comments!